A day at Ealing’s Walpole Park with Pitzhanger Mansion, Sir John Soane’s neo-classical country residence which, as an architect, he designed himself (as he also designed the world’s first purpose built art gallery, our old school Dulwich College’s picture gallery). The mansion is currently an amazing restoration project financed by the lottery fund.
Hand-painted Chinese style wallpaper has been lovingly recreated according to Soane’s original decoration project.
A conservatory, a portico and that extraordinary entrance lantern have all found their place again.
The adjoining Opie exhibition themed on the French village was quirkily light-hearted too.
Somehow our visit took our mind off the terrible events which happened twenty years ago. Sometimes we need to escape from these hard times just to survive…
Sir John Soane’s statue at the Bank of England.
His curtain wall at the Bank the only original part still standing after Sir Herbert Baker’s vandalistic reconstruction.
Tivoli corner at the bank’s North-west corner. A nice spot to linger in for those dreaming of Rome’s Pantheon.
